It's 3:30 PM. You've been in front of your screen since this morning, shoulders hunched up to your ears, lower back jammed against the backrest of your chair. That stiffness in your lumbar area — you know it well. It creeps in quietly, almost without warning, and ends up occupying all your attention.
You're not alone. Back pain affects around 80% of the population at least once in their lifetime, and prolonged sitting is one of the main triggers. The good news is that you don't need to leave your workstation to take action. Eight mobility exercises, all doable while sitting in your chair, are enough to release tension and restore flexibility to your spine.
Why your back hurts when you stay seated
When you're standing, your spine maintains its natural curves. When you sit down, everything changes. Your pelvis tilts backward, your lower back rounds, and the intervertebral discs — those little cushions between your vertebrae — are subjected to more pressure than when you're standing.
Add hours of not moving to that, and your deep muscles, the ones that stabilize your spine, end up letting go. Your hips stiffen, your shoulders tense up, your neck juts forward. It's a vicious cycle: the less you move, the more your body locks up, and the more it locks up, the more discomfort you feel.
The solution isn't to swap your chair for a balance ball or invest in a $2,000 desk. The key is regular movement. Short mobility breaks, repeated throughout the day, allow you to rehydrate your discs, reactivate dormant muscles, and interrupt the pain signal.
The 8 exercises to work into your day
Each exercise is done seated, without equipment, in less than a minute. You can string them together as a mini-routine or pick a few between meetings.
1. Pelvic tilt
Sit on the edge of your chair, feet flat on the floor, hip-width apart. Place your hands on your thighs.
Inhale while gently arching your lower back: your pelvis tilts forward, your chest opens up. Exhale while rounding your back: your pelvis rolls backward, your belly button draws in. Alternate slowly, like a wave traveling through your spine.
Duration: 10 repetitions, breathing calmly.
Why it works: this movement awakens the deep muscles of your lower back and restores mobility to your lumbar region, the area that suffers the most from sitting. It's a movement you'll also find in many morning stretching routines, that's how fundamental it is.
2. Seated rotation
Stay on the edge of your chair, back straight. Place your left hand on your right knee. Inhale to lengthen your spine, then exhale while gently rotating your torso to the right. Your right hand can rest on the backrest or the side of the chair to support the rotation.
Hold the position for 3 deep breaths, then return to center and switch sides.
Duration: 3 breaths on each side, 2 rounds.
Why it works: the thoracic spine (your mid-back) is designed to rotate. When it locks up, your lower back compensates, and that's what takes the hit. By restoring this rotation, you prevent painful compensations.
3. Lateral tilt
Sitting up straight, raise your right arm above your head. Slowly lean to the left while keeping your glutes firmly planted on the chair. You should feel a stretch along your right side, from the ribs down to the hip.
Hold for 3 breaths, then switch sides.
Duration: 3 breaths on each side, 2 rounds.
Why it works: the lateral trunk muscles (the quadratus lumborum, the obliques) shorten when you stay in the same position. Stretching them decompresses the lumbar vertebrae and provides almost instant relief.
4. Seated cat-cow
This movement borrows from the yoga classic, but adapted to your chair. Place your hands on your knees. As you inhale, arch your back, lift your chin, and open your chest (cow position). As you exhale, round your back as much as possible, tuck your chin toward your chest, and push your hands against your knees to accentuate the rounding (cat position).
Duration: 8 to 10 cycles, slowly.
Why it works: this movement mobilizes every level of the spine, from the sacrum up to the cervical vertebrae. It creates a pumping effect on the intervertebral discs that promotes their hydration. It's probably the most complete exercise on this list.
5. Hip opener (seated pigeon)
Place your right ankle on your left knee, with your shin roughly horizontal. Sit up straight. If you already feel a stretch in your right glute, stay there. Otherwise, gently lean your torso forward while keeping your back flat, until you feel a moderate tension.
Duration: 30 seconds on each side, 2 rounds.
Why it works: when your hips are stiff, your lower back absorbs movements in their place. By loosening the piriformis and the hip rotators, you release a massive source of lumbar tension. To go further on this topic, check out our hip mobility beginner guide.
6. Upper back stretch (crossed hands)
Interlace your fingers in front of you, palms facing outward. Push your hands far forward while rounding your upper back. Imagine someone pulling your hands forward while a thread pulls the middle of your back backward.
Hold the position for 15 seconds, release, then repeat.
Duration: 3 repetitions of 15 seconds.
Why it works: this position targets the rhomboids and the trapezius, two muscle groups that are constantly contracting when you type on a keyboard. Releasing them reduces tension that travels from the thoracic area up to the cervical spine.
7. Guided cervical stretch
Sit up straight. Gently place your right hand above your left ear. Let the weight of your hand — without pulling — tilt your head to the right. You should feel a moderate stretch on the left side of your neck. To intensify, let your left shoulder drop toward the floor.
Duration: 20 seconds on each side, 2 rounds.
Why it works: the upper trapezius and the levator scapulae are the most tense muscles in screen workers. This stretch releases the area where stress accumulates and can alleviate tension headaches.
8. Spinal decompression (self-elongation)
Sit on the edge of your chair, feet flat. Imagine a thread pulled from the top of your skull drawing you toward the ceiling. As you inhale, lengthen yourself as much as possible by pushing the top of your head upward. Hold this elongated posture for 5 seconds, then gently release as you exhale.
Duration: 6 repetitions.
Why it works: this exercise reactivates the deep muscles of the spine (the multifidus and the erector spinae) and creates space between the vertebrae. It's the ideal exercise to finish your session and return to a neutral posture before diving back into your work.
How to organize these exercises in your day
Consistency matters more than duration. Here's a practical breakdown for a typical day:
In the morning, when you arrive (5 minutes): run through all 8 exercises as a warm-up. This sets your spine up in the right conditions before you even settle in.
After lunch (3 minutes): focus on exercises 1 (pelvic tilt), 4 (cat-cow), and 5 (seated pigeon). These are the ones targeting the lower back and hips, the areas most affected by digesting while seated.
Late afternoon (3 minutes): prioritize exercises 6 (upper back stretch), 7 (cervical stretch), and 8 (decompression). The upper body accumulates tension over hours of typing and mousing.
If you want to complement this program, consider adding a morning stretching routine before you even head to work. The two complement each other perfectly.
Common mistakes to avoid
Forcing the movement. These exercises should remain comfortable. If you feel sharp pain, stop immediately. Mobility isn't about performance — it's about listening to your body.
Holding your breath. Many people unconsciously hold their breath during stretches. Yet deep breathing directly contributes to muscle relaxation. Exhale slowly during each stretching phase.
Waiting until you're in pain to act. Ideally, you should do these exercises preventively, before the pain sets in. Set a discreet alarm every two hours if needed. Your back will thank you.
Neglecting your hips. The link between stiff hips and back pain is underestimated. If your hips lack mobility, your lumbar spine systematically compensates. That's why exercise 5 is so important — and why specific work on hip mobility can transform your daily comfort.
What the studies say
A meta-analysis published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine showed that regular active breaks at work significantly reduce the intensity of lower back pain in sedentary workers. The effect is even more pronounced when the exercises focus on joint mobility rather than pure strengthening.
In other words, you don't need to break a sweat or do push-ups under your desk. Simple gentle movements, repeated regularly, are enough to break the cycle of stiffness and pain.
Take action
You now have eight practical exercises, no equipment required, all doable without leaving your chair. The hardest part isn't doing them — it's remembering to do them at the right time.
That's exactly why Pliable exists. The app offers you mobility routines tailored to your day, with smart reminders and guided sessions of just a few minutes. If you want to turn these exercises into a lasting habit, it's the simplest way to get there.
Your back spends 8 hours a day on a chair. Give it 10 minutes of movement. It deserves it.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many times a day should you do these exercises?
Ideally, repeat this series two to three times during your day: once in the morning when you arrive, once after lunch, and once in the late afternoon. Each session takes less than 10 minutes. Even a single session per day will make a difference if you stay consistent.
Can these exercises replace a medical consultation?
No. These mobility exercises are designed to relieve muscular tension caused by prolonged sitting. If you experience sharp pain, numbness, pain radiating down your legs, or if your back pain has lasted more than six weeks, consult a healthcare professional (doctor, physiotherapist) before continuing.
Do you need specific equipment to perform these movements?
No equipment is needed. You just need your office chair. Avoid chairs with unlocked wheels for rotation movements, or brace yourself against your desk for more stability.
Do these exercises also work when working from home?
Absolutely. Whether you are at the office, at home, or in a coworking space, the exercises are the same. When working from home, you even have the advantage of doing them without worrying about what your colleagues think. Take the opportunity to fit them in between video calls.
